Caliginous
by Vicki Vance
Summary: AU - Qui-Gon does not die on Naboo. Jealousy drives Obi-Wan, who is later killed, evil has stirred in the heart of the Republic, and any who oppose Chancellor Palpatine are mysteriously murdered. A new Dark Lord of the Sith has come into being. COMPLETE.
1. the Beginning of the End

CALIGINOUS

Summary: AU Qui-Gon does not die on Naboo. Jealousy has taken hold of Obi-Wan who is later killed, evil has stirred in the heart of the Republic, and any who oppose Chancellor Palpatine are mysteriously murdered. A new Dark Lord of the Sith has come into being.

Rated PG-13 for dark themes.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. I am making no profit from this.

Night had fallen on Coruscant.

It brought relief to the troubled young man who prowled silently across the rooftops of the senatorial buildings, craftily avoiding the many security cameras and sensors. Size did not matter in the dark. Worth, whether senator or Jedi or peasant, was rendered to one uniform state by the mere loss of light. The ideas of beauty and ugliness were eliminated when the judged face and body could not be seen. In the dark, he knew he was not better than the greatest heroes of the Republic, nor was he any better than the most murderous criminal.

Darth Caliginous located the balcony he sought. He slid down along the emergency escape ladder and padded softly onto the balcony in spite of the leather boots he wore. The sliding glass door had been left open, meaning to let in the cool summer air. He proceeded in unhindered.

Knowing through the Force which way to go, he stalked to senator Challiner's bed, where he lay sprawled asleep with his wife beside him.

Caliginous ignited his red lightsaber. Before either politician could wake enough to react, he beheaded them both.

As the spirits of the two beings left their lifeless bodies, he sensed the presence of their daughter in her room.

He stalked toward her room, careful to press his boots down hard into the soft carpet so a definite imprint was made. After all, if this luring trap were going to work, he would have to leave evidence behind.

He did not collide with the unseen furniture or the child's toys strewn across the floor, for although there was no light, he was not completely blind without the Force. He was strong with the mystical power, stronger than most, for once he had embraced and learned the secrets of the Light Side, and now he embraced and knew the secrets of the Dark Side.

He entered his prey's room and his lightsaber cast a ghostly scarlet glow on the white walls and bed sheets. She was awake, staring at him, her eyes wide in fear.

He had once been like that. Innocent, pure, untouched by the darkness that now inhabited his heart. For a moment, he felt the characteristic sympathy that old self had once had.

But then like black ice forming in the cold recesses of his mind, the words of his Master came to him.

_Show no mercy._

Caliginous raised his lightsaber and struck.

Fifteen seconds later he was climbing up the ladder to the roof top, melting into the deepest shadows, seeking the comfort of being nothing in the dark. The old self had been stirred when he saw the child, and it was so near the surface when he killed her. Now, his throat tightened and his eyes watered as the old self battled with him now to come free.

_How did you become a child killer?_ the tiny voice of the old self asked him.

Caliginous stopped. No, he could not think like that. His Master would be disappointed in him. He would be punished. He was not to think like that. He had not thought like that in years, not since the old self was smothered by the new self. He cleared his mind and after several seconds of blissful ignorance, he told himself he found pleasure in killing, no matter who the victim.

His mind believed him.

But the deepest section of his heart, the part that had not be touched by age and experience, did not.

After all, he had not been like this five years ago. He had been different then. _He_ did not even really exist. The old self had existed and had had a Master. A man the new self wanted to badly to strike down in a blaze of blood and satisfying slaughter. That had been the time when he was proud to be a Jedi Knight.

"Master!" Obi-Wan Kenobi yelled, spotting through the spaceshield of his fighter that the fighter Qui-Gon Jinn had been sprinting towards was destroyed by enemy aircraft, which were coming in faster now that the loyalist refugees were on the run in their evacuation transports.

Although he'd already taken off, Obi-Wan dove back down toward the landing platform, dodging heavy blaster fire as he went. He landed near his Master and threw himself out as a bolt struck the fighter, causing a wave of explosive heat to strike him from behind. He ran at full tilt at the decorative outcroppings that supported the hangar where his Master had taken shelter.

"Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said over the roar of the explosions. "You shouldn't have come back."

"I'm not leaving you!" he answered.

"You have no transport," Qui-Gon said. "The fighters hold only one person; coming back was illogical!"

Obi-Wan fixed him with his sharp blue eyes and said, "I'm not a Knight yet, Master."

Obi-Wan was twenty-four, days shy of being twenty-five, and soon he would reach the 'defined' adulthood of being a Jedi Knight.

"Besides, we can slip into an enemy fighter to escape," he continued. "They wouldn't shoot their own people."

"Yes, but the refugees might shoot us."

"Those are class one ships, Master," Obi-Wan said. "They have no weapons. You know that."

The dogfighting ships had been clearing away, taking their clash into space, and silence was descending on the hangar. Just as Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon exited their hiding spot, a party of anti-loyalist troops began their sweep of the hangar. The Jedi were spotted before they could hide and the troops opened fire upon their targets.

Obi-Wan's blue lightsaber was ignited before him in a flash of light and buzzing sound. The Force hummed calmingly through him, allowing him the cool head he needed to advance upon and defeat the troops with swift deference to the physical agony his enemy was suffering. Obi-Wan had been taught that there was to be no shame in the death of a warrior and when he had to take a life, he was to make it clean, fast, and with honor. To strike down an opponent in an immoral way was as degrading to the body as to the killer.

"They'll send in more," Qui-Gon said, surveying the fallen party. "Let's move."

Quickly, stealthily, they left the hangar through the being-friendly doors and snuck through the adjacent military base that had recently been overrun by anti-loyalist militias. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon crept toward the neat rows of fighters that they could take to use against the anti-loyalists.

Just as he thought he was in the clear, a spark of danger caught Obi-Wan's sharp attention. Taking in everything in a second, he saw the second party of troops exiting the hangar. They had found their comrades dead and were looking for the Jedi scum that had killed them. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon were in plain sight of them. One was fast enough as to have his rocket propelled grenade launcher leveled toward them.

Without thinking, Obi-Wan snatched Qui-Gon and threw him to the ground against the crates they hid by and shielded him with his body. The grenade hit the wall near them and he felt himself be pelted with hot and painful chunks of rock and concrete.

Before the dust could even start to settle, Obi-Wan had jumped up and offered a hand to Qui-Gon. "Let's lose ourselves in the confusion."

They did, and escaped to the hangers. The fighters the anti-loyalists had were two-person flown; one piloted, the other managed the guns. Qui-Gon took the pilot seat and Obi-Wan took the gunner's seat in the adjacent cockpit. In moments, they had taken off.

Obi-Wan got busy familiarizing himself to the weapon's controls. He located the blasters, the ion cannon, the four proton torpedoes, and the missiles. He began to prepare for a series of quick attacks he knew would come. Aim for the engines, far from the fuel cells, disable the ship, and try not to kill. He fired up the ion cannon and prepared the blasters for a secondary assault.

Then, they entered the battle that raged like wild fever in the cold of space.

Obi-Wan's thought processes smeared together into one flowing command from the Force. He acted without thought of reward or consequence, completely obeying the will of the bodiless being that dominated his life. It was as he had been taught, and his lessons were his very meaning of existence.

After it was over and the refugee ships limped away, one anti-loyalist fighter remained. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon landed their fighter in the boarding section of the loyalist ship that had sustained the least amount of damage, the _Prince Star_.

"You didn't have to do that," Qui-Gon said as he climbed out of his side of the ship. "Do you doubt my prudence?"

"No, Master," Obi-Wan said from the other side after his feet landed with a soft _click_ on the floor. "It's better safe than sorry, though."

"Be that as it may- Obi-Wan!" Qui-Gon said. Obi-Wan's eyebrows raised.

"What?"

"You're bleeding," Qui-Gon said, rushing toward him.

"I am?" Obi-Wan asked, confused from disbelief. Strange, he did not feel any pain. Only the sound and thrum and rush of the fight lingered with him. Yet as Qui-Gon touched the side of his neck Obi-Wan began to feel the numbing adrenaline slip out of him, leaving him jittery, less aware of his surroundings, and dizzy. Very, very dizzy.

He touched the back of his head, which was starting to hurt rather badly now. He felt the blood seeping out from a sliver of cut on his head and trickling down his back, soaking up in his clothing. He studied his reddened fingers and rubbed the bits of concrete between his forefinger and thumb, remembering dreamily how he had used his body to protect his Master's. He couldn't help moaning as nausea clawed at his gut.

"I think," he said, unaware of dropping to his knees. "I should sit down."

It was so painfully obvious it shamed Obi-Wan. He had seen it. He had seen it all. Qui-Gon treasured the boy above him. He was the ideal Padawan Qui-Gon secretly craved. He was the prodigy, the light of the Force, the Chosen One.

And Obi-Wan was scum on the bottom of his Master's boots.

He did not understand why Qui-Gon wanted _him_ more than Obi-Wan. This boy was much too old. During his life on Tatooine he had been exposed to the darker aspects of life, and the young children were more likely to turn if their unprepared minds were showed the true cruelness of the galaxy.

He was scared, too. Whether it be the newness of his environment or the separation from his mother, it wasn't good. No Jedi-prospect should feel fear of this magnitude.

Besides, there was something not quite right with Anakin Skywalker. Something that suggested recklessness, a lack of empathy and self-control, making him a potentially dangerous person, Jedi or not.

Obi-Wan was an adult, fast approaching Knighthood. He was mature, well-spoken, intelligent and occasionally comical. He fought well, was highly attuned to the Force, and could be calm in any given situation. He protected his Master with a fervor envied by other Padawans. He was clever, easy to get a long with, and logical.

And still, Qui-Gon's attention was more focused on the unstable child than Obi-Wan.

He stubbornly put it out of his mind, and listened attentively as Queen Amidala made battle plans with the Gungan Jar Jar Binks.

Heat had engulfed his entire body from the tips of his extremities to the very core of his torso, but it was the sweet reprimanding empowerment from the rush from the fight. He knew that'd he'd suffer later from all the kicks and falls his body had sustained, but delighted in the battle of the moment, knowing that despite its violent tendencies, it was merciful in its own odd ways.

But fate intervened, forcing the battle to overpower one of the three combatants. As Obi-Wan could only watch from behind the energy shields protecting the plasma cores of Naboo's capital city Theed, his Master was run through by the demonic Sith they were battling.

"_No!_" Obi-Wan screamed, his body bursting with a fresh spell of intense fighting heat, so intense that he could not remain stationary. Without hesitation, he shifted toward the energy shield that kept him between he and the Sith and with one swift stroke he hacked the metal energy emitter. The emitter sputtered brightly showering sparks at the Sith, blinding him. Without wasting a second, Obi-Wan leapt forward, driving his lightsaber into the Sith's chest and slashing across, slicing his heart, lung, and taking off an arm. His enemy sputtered and fell with only a low, guttural grunt.

Obi-Wan did not waste time contemplating his brutal defeat of the Sith but rushed quickly to his wounded Master's side.

"Master," Obi-Wan said. He scooped up his Master from the cold floor and cradled him, hoping his own fiery heat would somehow warm and comfort his severely injured teacher. He was hurt badly, but Obi-Wan sensed there was hope.

"I," Qui-Gon said. "I don't think..."

"No," Obi-Wan said firmly. "No. I'm not a Knight yet, Master."

Obi-Wan cleared his mind, soothed his body, purified his heart, and then connected himself to Qui-Gon's spirit. He ordered it quite simply to not leave his body. Then, he worked on the flesh. He brought relief to the burned cells, sealed the ruptured organs, and encouraged his blood to bring nutrients to the wound to stimulate the healing it needed.

As he worked he heard Qui-Gon's voice in his mind through the temporary spiritual link they shared.

_If I am to die, Obi-Wan, do not try to fight the will of the Force._

_You are not meant to die, Master._ Obi-Wan thought, hoping Qui-Gon could hear him. A telepathic bond of this magnitude was rarely attained in the Master/Padawan relationship that Jedi had, and Obi-Wan was unaccustomed to it. He had experienced it only once before and it was hard to call upon the memory. While in the early years of his tutelage under Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan had fallen very ill and for days it had seemed that he would succumb to the illness. During that time of confusing pain and sick fire that had plagued his body, his Master had been there for him and he remembered Qui-Gon's thoughts were his, and his were Qui-Gon's. Such Jedi bonds occurred only at times of great torment for either the teacher or the learner.

_Am I?_ It was not so much a question as it was a testing phrase.

_No, you are not._ Obi-Wan thought firmly. His Master's easy acceptance of death was disquieting and he felt he did not need such distracting emotions if he were to save Qui-Gon. _You have more things to live for. You can either help me or you can lie still, Master. It is your choice._

After a few moments, he heard Qui-Gon think of someone's name, but whose it was Obi-Wan could not precisely tell. It was muffled by his weakness, but Obi-Wan was keen enough to determine it was not his name. Then, Qui-Gon's meager support of the healing process joined his. Obi-Wan was strengthened by the fact he knew his Master was going to live.

But the nature of the name returned to his mind later when his Master received medical treatment at a Naboo hospital. After much soul-searching and deep thought, he came to conclusion that the name had most definitely not been his.

It had been Anakin Skywalker's.

To Be Continued...


	2. the Path Driven by Jealousy and Loyalty

CALIGINOUS

Summary: AU Qui-Gon does not die on Naboo. Jealousy has taken hold of Obi-Wan who is later killed, evil has stirred in the heart of the Republic, and any who oppose Chancellor Palpatine are mysteriously murdered. A new Dark Lord of the Sith has come into being.

Rated PG-13 for dark themes.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. I am making no profit from this.

He felt no different being a Jedi Knight. He was still the same physical person he had been the day before. He did not feel he had been enlightened of mind or spirit upon reaching Knighthood. No plateau had been reached, no rewarding finish line crossed, no final evaluation awarded. So it was a strange sensation for Obi-Wan to be approached by Nubians and Gungans and fellow Jedi who congratulated him as if he were mounted on a pillar, high above everyone else.

However, he did know he was something that none of them were and most likely would never be. A Sith-killer. In that respect, he felt different. His very heart felt altered, as if its beat had changed to proclaim in a soft, almost timid voice that he had slaughtered a piece of evil. But the nature of his heart troubled him, often making him suspect he would become like the evil he had vanquished in that fateful duel.

No one seemed to notice his troubles, only his deeds. What Obi-Wan had done was full of honor, but he found he was being regarded with caution, even by those he knew well, and all because of what he had killed. Perhaps that was yet another one of the burdens that came with what he now was.

And one boy brought on new feelings that he did not want at all to deal with, but he found himself doing so anyhow.

He seldom felt like this. No true Jedi should be angry with his Master. Yet he was rapping his knuckles sharply at Qui-Gon's door, furious that the man had taken Anakin as an apprentice the moment Obi-Wan was Knighted.

Unload the burden just in time for the prodigy.

The door slid open revealing Qui-Gon's curious expression.

"Obi-Wan?" he said.

"I need to talk to you," Obi-Wan said, inviting himself in.

"All right," Qui-Gon said. "But we need to keep it down. Anakin's in bed."

A spark of anger escaped Obi-Wan at the mention of the boy's needs over his. Qui-Gon frowned, sensing the rogue emotion.

"What is it?" he asked warily.

"Why?" Obi-Wan said. "Why him? Why did you want him as an apprentice and not me?"

"You were on your way to being a Knight," Qui-Gon said. "I was keeping my mind ahead of you. I needed to plan what I was going to do after you."

"But you made it so plainly clear you wanted him more," Obi-Wan said, exasperated.

"I never meant for that to happen," Qui-Gon replied calmly.

"You wanted to get rid of me," Obi-Wan accused. "Everyone knows it and that's embarrassing for me. Being the Padawan whose Master grew tired of. And now I'm a Sith-killer. What am I going to do next? Turn to the Dark Side?"

"Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said. "I never wanted-"

"It doesn't matter what you wanted," Obi-Wan snapped. "What matters is what has happened."

"Keep your voice down," Qui-Gon ordered sternly, glancing at a door which no doubt led to Anakin's room.

"No, let him hear," Obi-Wan yelled, advancing toward the door. "Let him hear what you've done to me. So he may prepare for what you'll most certainly do to him, also."

"I will not be badgered by you," Qui-Gon said evenly, placing himself between Obi-Wan and the door. "And I will not let you harm him."

"And I will not be belittled by you," Obi-Wan said.

"Then how do you propose we fix your little problem?" Qui-Gon hissed, stepping toward Obi-Wan, towering over him. "It's like what you said; What's happened has happened and we cannot change it. You will have to learn to live with it."

"I was not meant to live with this," Obi-Wan growled. "I- What does it mean to me, when you prefer a stupid, reckless, dangerous boy over me," he opened his hand towards Qui-Gon, showing him all he was, "your full-grown Jedi Knight?"

"You're just jealous," Qui-Gon said.

"I'm indignant!" Obi-Wan said. "I don't understand. This is I, the fruit of your labor. And if you refuse to be satisfied with my work..."

"I'm proud of you, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon insisted.

"No, you're not," Obi-Wan said, his head lowering in sudden humiliation. "You're not."

Qui-Gon approached his former apprentice and touched the back of his neck with the caring assurance he so desperately needed. Obi-Wan wanted to reach out to his Master and receive the comfort of his arms, feel safe and carefree once more, but he knew all those childish fantasies would be refused of him. He twitched as if to reach for a hug, but instead he snatched the cloth around Qui-Gon's shoulders and wrung it in his hands, placing the top of his head against Qui-Gon's chest.

"I... would have... _died_... for you," he choked on his words.

"I would have lived for you," Qui-Gon answered, trying to connect to his troubled student. Suddenly, he was reeling backward and it took him a moment to realize it was because Obi-Wan had shoved him away.

"No, you would not!" he screamed. "On more than one occasion you accepted your death without a second thought. But now that precious Anakin is your student you refuse to die!"

He spun around, confused and angry, toward the door. Qui-Gon caught his arm and Obi-Wan jerked himself free.

"Pada-"

"I am _not_ your Padawan!" he spat wildly. "Here, take this," he said, grabbing a wadded something from his belt and tossing it at Qui-Gon, who caught the light object. A moment passed and the blind rage left him a little, leaving him quietly infuriated. "And I think it's better this way."

Without another word from either Jedi, Obi-Wan left his Master. All he had left of his little boy Obi-Wan was his Padawan braid.

The planet Byss was a location of bustling city and beautiful plateaus and crystal-clean water. It was hidden under the nose of the Republic in the deep core. Chancellor Palpatine was encouraging travel to the planets there, but few were brave enough to venture into the high gravitational pull of the many suns that resided in the heart of the galaxy. It made a conveniant hideaway for the somewhat rich who wanted to be cut off from the rest of reality.

It was also a place for evil to spawn.

Obi-Wan had requested a solo mission and the Jedi Council sent him to Byss to search for the fugitive Vlog Incestor. The Rodian had committed several crimes against humanity on such planets as Coruscant, Chandrilla, Reecee, Alderaan, and Rhinnal; all of which were located in the center of the galaxy. Sightings of Incestor had been reported on Byss and it was Obi-Wan's duty to track him down and arrest him.

It felt good to forget about Qui-Gon and doggedly focus on his job again. He knew that while purposefully ignoring Qui-Gon he would put one hundred and ten percent effort into tracking down and arresting the homicidal rapist.

Incestor. Obi-Wan spent some of his travel time wondering how he'd gotten that name.

He landed his fighter in the city Palpatine had founded, Haven Town, and was met with the pudgy but muscled local security official Chief Harborson.

"I have his description and the list of sightings right here, Master Jedi," he huffed, handing him a clipboard-sized datapad. Obi-Wan surveyed the map in which small red squares marked where the sightings had occurred.

"They seem to be focused near Palpatine's personal retreat area," Obi-Wan pointed out.

"We've noticed that also," the chief said. "We've increased security in the immediate area and have alerted all the residents and workers in the nearby cities. That's why we've received so many sightings." he seemed quite proud about his final sentence.

"Palpatine isn't here, is he?" Obi-Wan asked.

"No, he's on Coruscant," Harborson said.

"Good," Obi-Wan said. "Incestor may want to kill him and he was clever in thinking here would be the best place to do it. Secluded. Few people. The perfect place to destroy a person..."

The Force was whispering to him and he could not resist the lure to follow its orders.

"I want to explore the premises of Palpatine's retreat," Obi-Wan announced. "I will contact him-"

"Oh, there's no need," Harborson said. "When he heard of the sightings here on Byss, Palpatine himself insisted that you should come and help us out. He said he was so pleased with the way you handled the Sith on Naboo that you should take care of Vlog Incestor yourself. And he's given you exclusive permission to basically go anywhere you want, his land, public places, private homes, anywhere, so long as it continues the investigation."

"Good," Obi-Wan said. "I'll start with his retreat."

"Shall I accompany you there, sir?" Harborson asked.

"No," Obi-Wan said. "I work better alone." he added when a puzzled expression crossed Harborson's face.

"Yes, sir," he said, showing him to a speeder. Obi-Wan realized he had hurt Harborson's dignity at naming a danger the Chief of Security was not capable of handling. "You sure I can't just drive you there?"

"I'm sure I can manage," Obi-Wan said politely, but the truth was he sensed danger lurking very near and he assumed it was Vlog Incestor. He did not want another individual to deal with, not matter his profession and skills. Incestor was no ordinary criminal.

"Well then, safe journey," Harborson said, watching Obi-Wan get into the speeder he'd brought him and take off.

The security guards at Palpatine's retreat let him in after checking his identification. They were surprisingly kind and trusting of Obi-Wan and he wondered if they were inexperienced guards or unnaturally trusting. Obi-Wan supposed that the fact they lived on a paradise hidden from the rest of galaxy was a very uplifting thought to the inhabitants whether troubled or not by a galactic criminal.

Obi-Wan wandered through the grand estate with only the Force as his guide and even took some time to marvel at the lavish accommodations the Chancellor's property sported. There was no one inside the palace of buildings and gardens, but Obi-Wan knew someone was there. Someone evil. He could sense the being's dark presence as clearly as he could sense the bright light of a Jedi Master back at the Temple on Coruscant. He would not be surprised if Incestor was a Force-adept. It would have taken more than manpower to be able to avoid the law enforcement of several planets and overpower and kill so many victims.

He tried the door to one of the buildings and it opened for him. Of course, on such a remote place, Palpatine would have no need for intense security, just a few guards at the gates. Or Vlog Incestor was being careless and had forgotten to close all the doors behind him.

Obi-Wan's footsteps echoed through the empty entrance hall. He didn't mind the noise.

"Vlog Incestor," he called into the dim halls. "I am the Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi. I know you are here. Surrender now and your punishment will be less severe."

Less severe? That meant the executioner would give him a sedative first.

From upstairs, he heard a crash like the fall of a vase. He bolted up the wide, sweeping stairs up the thick door and opened it, igniting his lightsaber.

It was void of light inside and smelled of water. The next moment his mind was dislodged from where it normally operated and his breath stopped on empty lungs. Something unseen yanked him forward and as he hurtled through the air his brain identified his incorporeal assailant as electricity. His body was met with yet another unexpected shock as the electricity abruptly stopped and he flopped into deep, cold water. Not thinking, he sucked in a breath underwater and his lungs protested angrily at him.

He flung his tingling body upward in blind search of air and electricity struck him again, shoving him deeper under water until he was pressed against a flat surface. He felt himself jerking and senselessly struggling, achieving nothing but getting his limbs tangled in his flowing outer cloak. Then he was being lifted upward and he broke the surface of the water and the lights came on their highest setting, temporarily blinding him. He felt himself being tossed like a rag doll several meters through the air and he smashed against a wall with a hard crunch. Luckily, instinct kicked in and he curled slightly just before impact, keeping his head tucked down toward his chest. As he slid down to the floor, he felt ambivalent that he had not been concussed; one the one hand he was conscious and able to survive what attack would fall next, on the other he was aware of the smarting pain of his injuries.

He coughed up water, gasping for air. He tasted chlorine in his mouth. Swimming pool water. It was everywhere inside him where it should not have been, his lungs, his noise, even his sinus ached with foreign water.

"Ah, Jedi," a raspy voice said. "How good of you to pay me a visit."

He tried to take a breath to answer the man and choked on the water that still lingered in his lungs. He opened his eyes, looking up. The room he was in was an extravagant indoor swimming pool complete with lamps that cast warm, imitation sunshine and elaborate lounge chairs that speckled the concrete surrounding the blue illuminated pool. A man in black robes was standing near him and though Obi-Wan could not see all of his face, he could see that he was an elderly Human. This was definitely not Vlog Incestor.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"I could make you a great man, Obi-Wan Kenobi," the man said in a dark, scratchy voice.

Confused, he asked, "How do you know me?"

"I know you very well, Kenobi," he said. "You killed my apprentice only a few weeks ago."

Obi-Wan snarled and jumped up to fight the Sith. The man raised his hand and blue lightning bolts burst from his fingertips and into Obi-Wan. He screamed and was pinned against the wall behind him. He tried to raise his hand and use the Force to block the attack, but his body was not responding to his mental commands. He was trapped and he did not like the feeling at all.

"Your lack of vision is your shortcoming," the Sith said and lightning stopped. Obi-Wan was sore and slid stiffly on the floor. "If you join me, you would become more powerful than even my former apprentice."

"And if I don't?" he grunted.

"But surely you will," the Sith said in an almost pleasant, persuasive voice.

"And if I don't?" Obi-Wan asked again, stronger this time.

"I will kill you."

Obi-Wan tried to gather his thoughts. They had been scattered the moment the lightning had hit him. What had happened before that? Why was he even there?

"Where's Incestor?" he asked.

"I killed him," the Sith said simply. "He was meant only as a reason to bring you here."

"Who are you?" Obi-Wan asked again. He was reaching stealthily for his lightsaber, planning to surprise attack the Sith. All he had to do was keep him talking...

"Are you looking for this?" the Sith asked, holding his weapon in his bony hand. Obi-Wan gaped. How had he done that?

"Why don't you join me so you can get your precious weapon back?" he suggested. "I will make you so great and powerful even your old Master could not turn a blind eye."

The tempting offer struck an emotional chord in Obi-Wan. He wanted so badly to prove to Qui-Gon his worth, prove he was better than Anakin, prove that he was the greatest that ever there was, but his heart told him that it was better to die than to go to the Dark Side.

There are conflicting sides in intelligent beings known to argue incessantly and never reach a definite conclusion. Such sides began a war in Obi-Wan.

Perhaps, if he joined this Sith, he might be able to defeat him later when he fully trusted Obi-Wan and therefore did not expect treachery.

Obi-Wan made himself appear as earnest and passive as possible.

"I will join you," he said steadily.

"You must _mean_ it, Jedi," he answered, releasing sharp lightning into his flesh. Obi-Wan spasmed against the electricity.

"I will join you," he screamed.

"Will you?"

"Yes!" he insisted, his body warning him that he was fast approaching his limit.

"Are you telling the truth, Jedi?"

Obi-Wan could feel the onslaught of unconsciousness looming nearer and nearer and if he lost his mind now he'd die.

"I do not lie!" he begged. "I will join you!"

Just as darkness crept into his vision, the lightning stopped. He didn't move. He didn't want to give the Sith incentive to hurt him further.

"Good," the Sith said, pleasure evident in his voice even to Obi-Wan, who kept his head buried in the folds of his wet cloak. The scent of chlorine and his own singed skin overpowered him and he nearly vomited in retaliation. He suppressed the gag reflex and only shivered from shock and cold, listening to the Sith's footsteps as he exited the room.

The whirring of machines filled the silence. In a matter of seconds, the droids had him captive.

To Be Continued...


	3. the Descent Past Death

CALIGINOUS

Summary: AU Qui-Gon does not die on Naboo. Jealousy has taken hold of Obi-Wan who is later killed, evil has stirred in the heart of the Republic, and any who oppose Chancellor Palpatine are mysteriously murdered. A new Dark Lord of the Sith has come into being.

Rated PG-13 for dark themes.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. I am making no profit from this.

The following day the Jedi Council received a message from Byss. An explosion had occurred at a start-up factory building of Byss Industries that made speeders and leather products to match. The local law enforcement explored the ruins in search of a cause and found the remains of two bodies. The first was identified by means of DNA testing on the scene as Vlog Incestor. The second was identified by dental records as Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Jedi who had been hunting him. The investigators concluded that Incestor had set a trap for the Jedi, but he too was caught in it when it when his bomb exploded.

The security of Byss informed the Council that there was so little left of Obi-Wan's body that they saw it futile to send it to them. They did, however send them the one thing that did survive the blast and the burning, the blue Adegan crystal from his lightsaber.

That evening, many eyes were not completely dry in remembrance of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

His steps, heavy with grief, sounded hallow as Qui-Gon made his way to the Halls of the Remembered to witness a few Councilmen put Obi-Wan's name plaque up beside all the other deceased Jedi's name plaques. He straightened the old kinks out his back and raised his head to watch the ceremony. In a small metal support that protruded from the plaque, the crystal was placed. The grime had been cleaned off and its azure beauty shone through to all who would see, boring its radiant perfection into Qui-Gon's heart.

How that stone reflected Obi-Wan's nature! So pure and virtuous, yet he had left Qui-Gon angry and hurt. If only he could have removed the grime that encrusted Obi-Wan that were caused by his last words to him, then perhaps he could have been at peace with his Master when he died.

But Qui-Gon hadn't.

And he could never forgive himself for it.

For the first two months, Obi-Wan was more prisoner than student.

His new Master did not trust him and rarely even saw him. Automated droids were his caretakers, were it called that. The machines purposefully malnourished him, refused him sunlight, refused him space to move around in. All the while he was trapped in a set of rooms the size of a small house, he ached to be free and regretted his hasty decision to be a Sith. But steadily, with clockwork automatism, the droids weakened him until he was deemed safe to travel, which made very little sense to Obi-Wan, who was finding it didn't take much to make him feel dizzy.

When they finally did transport him, he was surprised to find they took him off planet, to Coruscant, of all places. Wondering who his Master truly was, and when he was going to eat next, he was delivered to the very personal, very security tight room of Chancellor Palpatine.

He would never forget that day. The shock of finding out that the man the Jedi Council searched for as the source of evil in the galaxy was in charge of the very thing they were trying to protect was enough to render the generally well-spoken Obi-Wan speechless. He remembered his knees weakening, threatening to buckle under him, when his Master revealed himself. The frustration of it all, the sickening irony, the outrage that struck the mind with sharp precision was enough to make him purposefully go down on one knee and pledge his undying loyalty to his Master, Darth Sidious.

He knew that if he were to save the galaxy, he would have to join the Dark Side.

His naïve belief was abandoned soon after his training began.

Only in his nightmares that needed close examination because of their horror did training like this exist. Firstly, there were two ways of going about training: correct and incorrect. The correct path only lead him on to harder training. The incorrect path lead to physical retribution that could easily be the death of him if it went too far.

With the fear of failure to drive him, Obi-Wan found himself drawing strength from the very places he had been taught not to draw them from. The way he was being taught to embrace all his emotions and tap the vast unstable power that lay nestled deep within him was so unsettling that several times during the first few days he nearly broke down. Emotions were not meant to be used as a tool of destruction. Emotions were a part of the Human psyche and were necessary to mental health. Emotions were not to control your actions.

Everything Obi-Wan had learned as a Jedi was conflicting with his learning as a Sith and it aroused such fragility in him he found he was often wrestling with his beliefs.

He was afraid that Darth Sidious would see this weakness and punish him for it. He might even be deemed too weak to be a Sith and killed. Obi-Wan could not afford to be killed when the fate of the Republic rested mightily on his shoulders.

But on the ninth day, after an intense session of practicing with a staff against several specially built attack droids, his Master approached him.

"I sense weakness," he said simply.

Obi-Wan's breath, already hard to catch after the exercise, became stiff in his lungs. The last thing he wanted was a confrontation about this haunting matter.

"What do you have to say, apprentice?" Sidious asked.

"I-" he said. "I am unaccustomed to this."

"Of course you are," Sidious said. "The Jedi have taught you to suppress your power. To keep it locked away in a place they think is safe, along with all your true emotions. You must learn to free your mind of such silly ideals."

"Yes, Master," Obi-Wan said quietly, amazed that he had avoided a punishment. His Master had shown before that he didn't mind striking him with lightning, or locking him away in a small room, or starving him until he was perfectly obedient once again.

"Practice again, my apprentice," Sidious said. "Imagine you are fighting your former Master. Let the hate flow into the battle. Let it give you the strength he will never have so you may defeat him."

Obi-Wan still found it hard to imagine killing the man he'd considered a father for over ten years of his life, but he knew he had to abandon that mental training if he was going to survive his training and defeat the Sith.

His anger vented into his battle techniques and he found himself making more and more violent moves. By the time his exercise was over, he'd destroyed two droids and his Master was pleased.

"You would have killed Qui-Gon Jinn," he congratulated. "And his Padawan."

Obi-Wan jerked out of his Dark Side in sickness and he was horrified at himself. Darth Sidious sensed this rejection and knew he would have to press his student harder if he were to be the perfect student he continually sought after.

"Yet, you are still puny," the Master said on a disappointed sigh. Obi-Wan tensed slightly, expecting punishment. "You still think like a Jedi. And those who think like a Jedi, suffer like a Jedi."

Under the lightning of his Master, Obi-Wan suffered.

It took four years to change a pure, virtuous, well-meaning young man into the dark, cruel and malicious man he was when he slaughtered Challiner and his family during the dark. The first few weeks of training had been hard, but after he adopted the name of a Sith Lord and convinced himself that Obi-Wan Kenobi was dead, it had been so much easier to fall to the Dark Side.

He had finally decided on Darth Caliginous. To be so dark that light itself was swallowed by his presence was his goal and he reached it with the help of his Master.

Caliginous killed whoever stood in the way of his Master's political life. He did so quietly and secretively with his red-bladed lightsaber and always during the night. He killed single politicians, or just their spouses, or even their entire families; whatever his Master commanded of him, he did so.

He spent four years plotting to kill Qui-Gon Jinn and Anakin Skywalker. Over and over, he replayed how he'd do it in his mind and relished every bloody moment of it with sadistic ecstasy. Sidious was well aware of what was on his student's mind and as he stood at a balcony one night, overlooking the sparkling city of Coruscant. There was no one to kill or threaten that night; plans were made on such nights, and Sidious had approached him to address the subject of Caliginous' desires.

"I know of what your heart desires, my young apprentice," he said quietly.

Caliginous said nothing, for he had nothing to say.

"I know you want to kill the Jedi who abandoned you," he continued. "And perhaps I can arrange it."

Caliginous turned to his Master and knelt before him.

"Nothing would give me greater pleasure, Master."

Sidious smiled. "You have come so far, yet a final test is in order. There is a politician named Challiner who is too snoopy for his own good. I would appreciate it if he cured of this fatal curiosity."

"Yes, my Master," Caliginous answered immediately, waiting for his Master to give him permission to kill Qui-Gon Jinn.

"I would like you leave behind evidence this time," Sidious said and for a moment Caliginous was surprised. He had never left behind evidence before. He had never even been told to not leave behind evidence, he was so good at his job.

"I will insist that Master Jinn take the case, since the evidence will take him to Byss, the planet Obi-Wan Kenobi was killed on."

The old part inside him twitched at the sound of its name, but he smothered it with his inner darkness before his Master could notice.

"And there, you will kill him. The boy too."

"Master," Caliginous said cautiously. "The boy is exceedingly powerful. Suppose if he were to be turned, he would make a most powerful ally."

"Or perhaps not," Sidious said, offending his student's pride. "The Jedi may be blind, but they are not stupid. They will notice the disappearance of their Chosen One, and they will not accept the fact that he has been killed as easily as they accepted the fact that Kenobi had been killed. Their investigations could expose us."

Caliginous felt an angry sting snap through him, almost issuing a rumbling growl. He clamped down hard on his mind, pressing his brain down hard to keep angry memories from flooding back to him. Memories of the mere child who was more important than he. Memories of the betrayal he had felt. Memories of the sheer audacity of his own silly Master. He pressed down harder, wished he could squeeze his brain and erase those memories that pained him when he wasn't careful with himself.

But then, in the manner he had been taught, he tapped into his livid emotions and drew a dark power from them. His gain of might from the hot emotions gave him the strength he needed to think clearly, and he did. A comforting thought came to him. He was more powerful than he had been before. He was more powerful than Qui-Gon and his precious Anakin. He was more powerful than any Jedi, and he could take on any one his Master wished. To think, turning Skywalker, the epitome pride and joy of Qui-Gon Jinn, against the Jedi... The evil the boy would do would be Caliginous' ultimate insult to his former Master.

"If Skywalker made the decision to turn, perhaps the Council would be more accepting of the lie we will feed them," Caliginous suggested. "If he does not struggle, it will go unnoticed through the Force."

"Yes," Sidious said in thought. "Yes. If it weren't against his will, it could be done. Otherwise, he must be killed."

"Of course my Master," the student said obediently.

Qui-Gon surveyed the murder scene with a keen eye and a troubled spirit. Challiner had been a close personal friend of Palpatine's and the Chancellor himself asked Qui-Gon to look into the case.

He had left Anakin at the Jedi Temple. He didn't want his student of thirteen exposed the death and horror of the scene.

Challiner and his wife had been beheaded by a lightsaber blade. Even their six-year-old daughter had been killed similarly. Neither of the two females were violated and it seemed that whoever killed them was interested in only doing that. This assassin didn't care for his own gruesome pleasures, signifying his professional conduct. When the weapon, the nature of the murders and the lack of amateurism were all tallied together it all added up to a very dangerous person.

One of the chief policemen approached Qui-Gon. He was uneasy because he had just taken several photographs of the girl's room where her body was in bed and her head was not.

"Do you think it was Aurra Sing?" he asked. "I've heard of her before, and how she kills Jedi and keeps their lightsabers as keepsakes."

"Aurra Sing does not wear men's shoes," Qui-Gon said, his blue eyes cast downward on the footprints that were imprinted in the carpet. "These are too large and wide to be a woman's."

"Maybe they're Challiner's," the policeman suggested.

"These footprints come from the balcony," Qui-Gon said, tracking the print with his sharp eyes. "They go to the bed, then to the girl's bedroom, and then out the balcony again. These are the murderer's footprints."

"Sir!" another official called from the girl's room. "I think I've found something!"

"What is it?" Qui-Gon asked, then to the official, "Tread carefully." He entered the room. The body had been covered with a cadaver sheet, but it was still unsettling to think there was a dead child in the room.

"I heard what you were saying about the footprints, sir," he said. "And I think I found a word in the footprints."

They knelt down and the man indicated a small smudge of letters that spread from heal to toe in the print. He examined the prints in the room and then the others, not wanting to believe what he was reading. He did not want to continue the case if the letters spelled what he thought they did. Old wounds long since healed would open again and he knew Palpatine would want to see this case out through to the end. After all, it was Challiner who had helped Palpatine settle the planet he would have to go to.

But finally, he had to agree with the security officials.

"Yes," he said heavily. "It does say BYSS INDUSTRIES."

Why Byss of all places?

No matter how Qui-Gon had argued with the Council and Palpatine, he was still cinched into going to the planet where Obi-Wan had lost his life in defense of the Republic.

Qui-Gon knew that as a Jedi and a civilized man he should not curse anyone, but he truly hated Vlog Incestor for blowing himself up along with his former student. The magnitude of Obi-Wan's death was what hurt him the most. The most of his old Padawan the authorities had extracted from the blast site was among other bones, a shattered maxilla and chunks of a mandible. The carbon scoring was so thorough DNA testing was out of the question and they needed his dental records in order to determine whether or not it had belonged to him.

It had.

He hoped that Obi-Wan had died quickly and without pain. Every Master hoped that of his Padawan, and every Padawan in turn hoped that of his Master. Perhaps, in this instance, he had hoped not in vain. If the explosion was that immense and intense, it might have incinerated him instantly.

To think like this twisted Qui-Gon's heart.

Another aspect of Obi-Wan's death that pained Qui-Gon was Obi-Wan's age. He had been so young at twenty-five, hardly starting his own life as an adult with no teacher to guide him, take charge of him, or influence his decisions. The injustice of his premature death was just as aggravating as the death of a baby, because both, in a sense, were just beginning their lives.

Anakin was acutely aware of his Master's sufferings. While they were traveling aboard a Republic ship on their way to Byss, Anakin had sat beside his brooding Master and touched his arm with all the gentleness his childlike manner could manage.

"I know," he said quietly.

"Do you, Padawan?" Qui-Gon asked.

"I know what it's like to lose a loved one," Anakin said. "I can feel you suffer for Obi-Wan. I suffer with you."

"It's just that," Qui-Gon said unsteadily. "Sometimes I'm _haunted_ by my memory of him."

Anakin nodded. "Sometimes I get the feeling that he isn't really dead."

"I suffer from that also," Qui-Gon said, rubbing his forehead and eyebrows. "And I wonder, if he really is alive, why can I not sense him? Why didn't he come home? Is he unable to come home? Is he hurt some where that I can't reach him? It is a terrible feeling that taunts me, Padawan."

"So, it is better that he is dead," Anakin said. "And at the same time, it's worse."

Qui-Gon nodded and chuckled ruefully. "You do know, don't you Padawan?"

Anakin shrugged and smiled a little. "Sometimes."

The moment they stepped off the ship they were attacked by a group of uniformed thugs bearing all varieties of weapons the Republic had outlawed. Qui-Gon and Anakin dispatched of them quickly and Qui-Gon wasted no time to interrogate one that had survived and had not been so quick to flee.

"Are you working for Byss Industries?" he asked.

"N-no," the man said, surprised by the question. "Please don't kill me sir."

"Who do you work for?" Anakin asked.

The man didn't hesitate. "A smuggler named Doraan Tiillen. He got word somehow that Jedi were coming and he freaked."

"Does he have any connections with Byss Industries?" Qui-Gon asked.

"He does some work for them sometimes," the man said.

"Anything now?" Anakin asked.

"Nothing now," he said. "He bolted when he heard you guys were coming and told us to stay behind."

"Does he have any connections with senator Challiner?" Anakin asked.

"Yeah," the man said, sounding surprised again. "Challiner's the one who funds Byss Industries. Well, fund_ed_. He's dead now, right? Oh, please don't kill me."

"Which way to Byss Industries?" Qui-Gon asked.

"Down the avenue here," the man said. "Huge factory building. New-looking. The old one was destroyed a few years ago."

"You've been helpful," Qui-Gon said, letting him go. "Now why don't you go home and reconsider your line of work?"

"I thought you'd never ask," the man said nervously. Anakin gawked at his Master as the man walked away from the scene of the attack.

"Why'd you do that?" he asked. "He was a bad guy!"

"Was he, Anakin?" Qui-Gon said, turning playful. "He appeared to be a little on the naughty side, but his heart was in the right place. He was just following orders. You can't punish people for thinking someone else's thoughts."

"But he wanted to kill us!" Anakin said, following his Master as he walked down the avenue. "It's against the law of the Republic to attempt to kill a Jedi!"

"But it is often forgiven," Qui-Gon said. "In cases such as this."

"But-"

"Just think about what I've said, Anakin," Qui-Gon interrupted. "People can surprise you. Just wait to let their real selves shine through."

"Yes Master," Anakin said, although he did not completely understand what his Master was saying.

"In the meantime, I'll call for backup," Qui-Gon said, reaching for him comlink. "I get the feeling that Doraan Tiillen is going to be a very slippery character."

To Be Concluded...


	4. the End

CALIGINOUS

Summary: AU Qui-Gon does not die on Naboo. Jealousy has taken hold of Obi-Wan who is later killed, evil has stirred in the heart of the Republic, and any who oppose Chancellor Palpatine are mysteriously murdered. A new Dark Lord of the Sith has come into being.

Rated PG-13 for dark themes.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. I am making no profit from this.

Many, many thanks to Galaxylei for helping me edit and develop bits of plot. If it weren't for her, this story would have really sucked.

"So slippery he isn't around at all?" Anakin snorted at the empty interior of the factory building.

The place had been stripped. Where there should have been machines making speeders or leather products was emptiness and random crates strewn about.

It seemed a little suspicious to Qui-Gon. Everything was gone, the doors hadn't been locked and the huge skylights were open to the vast sky. It seemed like too much of a simple disappointment.

And the sound of footsteps alerted them to the fact that they were not alone.

Suddenly, the Force stirred from placidness and the doors closed and locked. Qui-Gon, acting upon instinct, reached for his lightsaber, as did Anakin.

A door at the far end of the factory building that led to the offices opened and Qui-Gon could only watch with a thudding heart as the ghost of one long dead approached them, the taps of his feet echoing hollowly as the footsteps of an incorporeal being are.

Qui-Gon knew that ghost.

"Obi-Wan?" Qui-Gon said, his throat thick.

"What?" Anakin breathed. "I don't understand."

"You never did," the ghost said and he raised his hand as if to salute. Blue lightning flared from his fingertips and Anakin was snatched away from Qui-Gon's side and hurled into a pile of crates with a scream and a loud _smash_ followed by stale silence. Qui-Gon raised his lightsaber in defense, hardly daring to breathe.

"You look so surprised, Master Jinn... and old," the man said, circling on Qui-Gon's left, deliberately putting himself between Qui-Gon and where Anakin had fallen. "My, my, my, you've grayed up nicely haven't you? All this age and so little wisdom. Did you really think I had died?"

"I-" Qui-Gon said. This was too much for him to take in at once. His old Padawan was indeed alive, which was shocking in of itself, but the way he had changed was much more startling. He was now a hateful person, crueler, and definitely not the Obi-Wan that he had known. His skin was paler than he remembered and shadows lurked under his eyes, shrouding the cerulean irises in darkness. His face was still smooth like it had been when he'd been his Padawan but his hair was a little longer. His clothes were sleek and well-kept like his face, but they too were dark.

"I didn't know what to think, Padawan," Qui-Gon admitted, hoping the final word would encourage Obi-Wan's better side.

"Your Padawan died years ago," the man said. "In this very factory, remember? It was rebuilt, of course. Obi-Wan Kenobi was blown to kingdom come and all that was left for the Jedi Order was the crystal of his lightsaber."

He withdrew a lightsaber from his waist and held it up for Qui-Gon to see. "Recognize the hilt? All that's changed is the heart of the blade. It appears the same on the outside..." he ignited the familiar weapon and a red blade sprang out. "But inside it is an utterly different weapon."

"I will not fight you," Qui-Gon said.

"Then I will kill you," the man said.

"Obi-Wan, you can't," Qui-Gon said.

"I'm sorry, who?" the man frowned. "I do not know this person. I know only myself; I am a Dark Lord of the Sith, and I am called Darth Caliginous. Those who have seen me are no longer alive and that same law applies to you."

Qui-Gon refused to feel defeat at hearing his former student confess his affiliations with evil. He did not believe his Padawan could be like this.

"Obi-Wan, this isn't you," Qui-Gon said.

"That name means nothing to me," Caliginous snapped, growing annoyed with Qui-Gon's pressings.

With a sudden spin of cloth and limbs, Caliginous launched a swift and brutal attack upon his former Master. His fighting style both frightened and intimidated Qui-Gon for the violence and sheer determination to kill was quite nearly overpowering. It was not at all like Obi-Wan's old fighting style which had played heavily on his determining speed but also on his prudence that kept him alive.

Qui-Gon shoved him back with a Force-push. The Sith repositioned himself with his blade angled toward Qui-Gon, calculating his next attack.

"I will not fight you," Qui-Gon said. "I will only defend myself. Remember, I taught you everything you know."

"Ha!" he said without amusement, attacking Qui-Gon with fresh vigor. "Do you think I have been alone for four years?" he asked between strokes. "Do you think I have no teacher?"

"There is a Sith Master?" Qui-Gon asked, shocked.

"As surely as there is a Jedi Master," Caliginous said, striking sharply and relentlessly against his former teacher. Qui-Gon, sensing he would lose if the battle remained between sabers, reached for the Force and threw a crate at the Sith. He tried to strike it down, but shards of it crashed into him nevertheless He swore and clutched his injured arm, eyeing Qui-Gon with a deep-rooted desire to bring malice upon him.

"Listen to me, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said.

"That is not my name," the injured man said angrily.

"Yes it is and you know it," Qui-Gon insisted. "You were my Padawan and I wrongly hurt you."

For a very brief moment, the Sith faltered and the old part of him was trying to break free of the darkness that held it captive. The new part of the man, fearful of this happening, came back to full strength and clamped down on the old self, silencing it. He was going to kill Qui-Gon Jinn and nothing could stop him. The struggle did not go unnoticed and Qui-Gon did sense him falter.

"I'm sorry for what I did to you," Qui-Gon continued. "I was wrong. Everything is my fault. And I deserve to be punished for your crimes. I know you have murdered, Obi-Wan."

"That is not my name," Caliginous hissed. "I am Darth Caliginous and I am as dark as my title."

"No, you are not," Qui-Gon said gently. "Obi-Wan, you are a kind person. You are an intelligent, virtuous, infallible young man. You were a Padawan to be proud of."

"You hated him," Caliginous sneered, releasing his arm. He had been healing it as Qui-Gon spoke to him. "You wanted him gone so you could train Skywalker, the angelic blessing the Force itself gave to the Jedi, it's prized people."

"But Obi-Wan, you were a blessing to me as well," Qui-Gon said. "When other Jedi doubted you, I set them straight. I told them you were the best Padawan a Master could ever have."

Qui-Gon was saying exactly what the old self wanted to hear. He was strengthening it and the power of the Sith could not smother it for much longer.

"Be silent!" Caliginous screamed and he hurtled himself at Qui-Gon. His attacks were less well-placed and sloppier than before, signifying his increased emotional discord. His emotions were strong and numerous and Qui-Gon knew if he tapped the right ones he could win Obi-Wan back to the Light Side.

Once again, he shoved Obi-Wan away and deactivated his lightsaber. The distance allowed him to speak to him.

"You have chosen the wrong path," Qui-Gon said. "But I know I can win you back."

"You cannot win back someone who was never yours to begin with!" Caliginous spat. "I am _not_ Obi-Wan Kenobi! That fool is dead!"

Despite the hostility of the man, Qui-Gon did not back down. He kept his voice calm and soothing, speaking in the way he did when Obi-Wan was young and in distress. "I don't think I ever told you. And I'm sure if I did didn't tell you often enough."

Caliginous paused, actually waiting for what Qui-Gon had to say. The Jedi Master knew he was reaching him and he grew more confident of his plan.

"I'm so proud of you Obi-Wan," he said earnestly. "You are my pride and joy, my fully-trained Jedi Knight. You are my prize, my son, the greatest I will ever have."

Caliginous blinked furiously. It hurt Qui-Gon to see him fighting so violently with himself, but he knew he was close to saving his former student.

A final statement was all he needed and then it'd be solely Obi-Wan's choice.

"I love you like a son, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon's voice came out in a whisper. "I still do. I always will, no matter who or what you claim you are."

For several moments, there was silence, save for the hum of a lightsaber. Caliginous stared into Qui-Gon's face, seeking something he could prey upon in order to save himself and finding nothing.

Qui-Gon watched, ready to accept his former apprentice. Obi-Wan and Caliginous were at war; the Sith was summoning the demons within him and Qui-Gon could not interfere. If he did, he may lose Obi-Wan forever.

The old self was strong, stronger than it had been in years, battling the new self with such energy the new self was soon the one being smothered, ruined, destroyed. It was crumpling, but it clung tenaciously to the old self, determined to take it down with it.

Suddenly, Caliginous made a soft cry like a wounded infant and he dropped his lightsaber. It fell to the floor and clicked off. He stared almost numbly at where the red blade had been and noticed for the first time in a long time the hilt that had been crafted under Qui-Gon's careful and nurturing teaching. It was the same hilt he'd used to slay a Sith and he had intended to slay another. But his plans had gone horribly awry. What had he become?

It was simple. He was an agent of evil.

His head lifted and Qui-Gon saw Obi-Wan Kenobi. There was a deep hurt in his watering eyes that stung Qui-Gon's core. That hurt was just the surface, for deep inside Obi-Wan was the abyssal pain of rejection that was just as fresh and strong as the first day of his Knighthood.

More agonizing silence passed as Obi-Wan grappled with himself. His mouth opened as if to speak, and Qui-Gon waited through the pregnant silence.

"I've killed _children_, Master," he confessed, his voice high and thick with shame and horror.

Qui-Gon was about to respond to Obi-Wan, who was very sensitive and unstable in his shyness and uncertainty, when a interrupting sound distracted the men from any possibility of conversation. They looked up to the huge skylights and saw the outline of several Republic starships lowering toward the factory building. Qui-Gon's and Obi-Wan's eyes met again and there was wild anger in the young man's eyes and Darth Caliginous lived once more when Obi-Wan when struck aside by betrayal.

"You set a trap for me!" he screamed, willing his lightsaber to his hand.

"No-" Qui-Gon's voice sounded feeble, even to him.

"Damn you, old man!" he was charging toward Qui-Gon with animal ferocity so freakish that the Jedi Master could not move; he only stood amazed in the manner of a man witnessing something so entirely out of any control he might ever tearing itself completely loose.

"Rot in-"

He did not finish his sentence. Instead of a word he made a gurgling sound and when Qui-Gon realized what had happened, it was too late.

"_No!_"

Anakin, who had regained consciousness in time to find his Master being attacked by a Sith Lord, had thrown himself into the fight, his own lightsaber ablaze. Now it was embedded in the man's chest, burning the delicate organs that nestled under the protection of his ribs.

Anakin withdrew the blade and the man slumped backward. Blood spurted up over a meter up out of his chest and Qui-Gon realized Anakin had stabbed him in the vicinity of the heart. The heat of a lightsaber cauterized a wound unless there was intense pressure behind it and the seal of burned flesh broke. A lightsaber wound to the aorta did exactly that, as Qui-Gon had gruesomely learned before under his own Master.

"Obi-Wan!" Qui-Gon cried. After he shoved Anakin aside he rushed to his former student. His eyes were wide in shock and his mouth was open, trying desperately to suck in the air that eluded him. His arms were bent at the elbows and his hands were raised above his body, curling in the air. He seemed unaware of the blood gushing violently out his body.

Qui-Gon clamped his hand over the wound and felt the throbbing pressure of the blood push angrily against his hand. He reached for the Force and drastically slowed and weakened his heartbeat in an effort to stop the blood's mad rush to escape his body. Obi-Wan shivered and reached out toward Qui-Gon and his hand found his arm. He squeezed very hard, digging his fingernails deep into the soft fabric, threatening to bruise. Qui-Gon hardly noticed.

"Master," the man said, and their eyes met. Caliginous had been killed. Now there was only Obi-Wan, and he was hurt, injured, betrayed, and scared like a child. His eyes, like a diary sprawled open, nakedly displayed his innermost feelings.

"Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said. His hands were covered with Obi-Wan's blood and he knew it was leaking out through his back, as well. It was too traumatic a wound for him to handle. If a Healer was there with him, then maybe...

A Healer was not there and Obi-Wan was not going to live.

"I- I'm sorry- M-asterrr," Obi-Wan said through erratic breathing. "F-forgive me, please."

"Of course I forgive you, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon assured his dying student. When he had believed that Obi-Wan had died in the explosion, his only hope was that he had been at peace when he died. Now Qui-Gon had a chance to make that possible, and he was going to everything he could to ensure a gentle departure for Obi-Wan.

"I'm proud of you," he continued in a relaxing voice. "You defeated the Dark Side that was within you. You demonstrated great strength."

Qui-Gon did something he'd done once before when Obi-Wan had been sick. Upon connecting his mind to Obi-Wan's he easily sensed the emotions in Obi-Wan; he felt the pain, the fear, the guilt, the sense of failure, and the helplessness. It was fading away like his life, not because he was dying, but because his Master was comforting him. This knowledge warmed Qui-Gon's heart in a way no words could describe.

_I thought that by joining the Dark Side I could defeat it._ Obi-Wan thought. _I had to join, Master. I had to defeat the evil._

_It was easy to think those things, Padawan._ Qui-Gon thought, knowing Obi-Wan could hear him. _It is a mistake I will not blame you for._

"The Force will welcome you, no matter what you've done," he said out loud. "Let it help you, Obi-Wan."

"Do not let Anakin fail you like I did," Obi-Wan said slowly. "The Dark Side is evil..."

"I know Obi-Wan," he said, wiping a hand clean on his pant leg so he could stroke Obi-Wan's face and sorrel hair. "Force guide you to peace."

Obi-Wan tried to breathe but blood was blocking his airway and his injuries were catching up with him.

_Hold me, Master._ he begged. Even the voice in his head was weak.

Qui-Gon cradled him close and murmured soothing words to his ear and whispered thoughts to his mind. After so long of living in turbulence, Obi-Wan Kenobi died in peace like a Jedi, just as Qui-Gon had hoped.

Like he had four years ago, Qui-Gon wept for his Padawan.

Anakin watched, not truly understanding. Darth Caliginous had been the enemy, hadn't he? Then why had he repented? Why had he changed? Wasn't Qui-Gon happy that he had killed him?

Qui-Gon had called him Obi-Wan, but he had been killed years ago in an explosion. Anakin could hardly remember what the Jedi looked like and he thought he certainly didn't look like the dark-clothed wan-faced man that had threatened he and his Master. Obi-Wan's presence in the Force had felt different when compared to Darth Caliginous'. While Obi-Wan had been bright and sharp, this man's had been cold, murky, and churning with conflicting sides.

He was even more confused when, after a few seconds of Qui-Gon crying and holding the body of Caliginous, it disappeared. All that remained were his clothes and the blood that had pooled widely around his body.

His confusion was replaced with fear when Qui-Gon put both hands flat on the ground in the blood and sobbed.

"Gone?! You were one of the Elite, Obi-Wan," the Jedi Master said between tears. "The _Elite_ for Force' sake! Why did you have to do die if you were an Elite?!"

When Darth Sidious learned of his student's death, he was not upset. He merely searched for another student, one not as young as Darth Maul or Darth Caliginous had been. He soon had the former Jedi Count Dooku join him as a Dark Lord of the Sith and he adopted the name Darth Tyrannus.

Qui-Gon completed Anakin's training. They young man was always haunted by the death of Obi-Wan, who was superior in the ranks of the Jedi as one of the Elite, one of the true, pure warriors of the Order that under correct circumstances were destined for greatness for when they died their bodies gave in entirely to Force and disappeared, sparing them the shame of a soulless body requiring care and disposal of. Anakin was driven by jealously toward evil, and was given the final shove when his mother was murdered. During his fall to the Dark Side, Qui-Gon made certain that his twin children, born by Padmé Amidala, were kept hidden from him. After Padmé promised to take the baby girl to Alderaan to live with Bail Organa, Qui-Gon took the boy and hid him on the one planet Anakin would never think to return to, Tatooine, and there his aunt and uncle raised him. Qui-Gon remained on the desert planet to watch over the boy, and eventually gave him his father's lightsaber when he was an adult.

After the fall of the Jedi Order and the Republic and the birth of the Empire, Qui-Gon Jinn died on the superweapon the Death Star. His martyrdom allowed a group of rebels who were fighting the Empire that Palpatine had created to escape. They later went on to cripple the tyrannical government and kill the Emperor. Anakin, though he had fallen, returned to the Light Side, like the man he had killed so many years ago.

The End


End file.
